good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Perhaps at no other time in the year besides Christmas do Christians have a chance to shine in the darkness more clearly and beautifully. There are people where you go to school, where you work, where you live who donít really understand what Christmas is all about. They may connect Christmas with Jesusí birth, but they really donít connect what happened then to whatís happening now, or whatís happening in their lives. Jesusí birth has little or nothing to do with how they live, or how they die. Christmas is your time to shine. By ďshineĒ I donít mean itís your time to show off how good you think you are, or how bad you think they are. Itís not a time to get self-righteous. On the other hand, it is a time to show people the Baby born in Bethlehem came to change our lives. He came to give us peace with God, and peace with one another. He came to give us purpose in life, and hope after death. Your job as a light for the world is to show them why He came, and to lead them to the Light of the World that can light up their darkness. That wonít happen by accident. Youíve got to prepare yourself to shine for Jesus. Youíve got to pray, and ask Him for opportunities to share His love with others. Youíve got to take time to think about how you will tell them when they ask what makes your life so different. 1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you haveÖ Let me challenge you this Christmas to shine bright and beautiful as a Light for the Lord. There are folks living in darkness who need somebody to shine the light of the Gospel of Godís love into their lives. You could be that light, if you will prepare your heart. A true story: Two weeks before Christmas a nine-year-old girl was walking with her friend down the street, sliding on the ice. The two of them were talking about what they hoped to get for Christmas. They stopped to talk to an old man named Harry, who was on his knees pulling weeds from around a large oak tree. He wore a frayed, woolen jacket and a pair of worn garden gloves. His fingers were sticking out the ends, blue from the cold. As Harry responded to the girls, he told them he was getting the yard in shape as a Christmas present to his mother, who had passed away several years before. His eyes brimmed with tears as he patted the old oak. "My mother was all I had. She loved her yard and her trees, so I do this for her at Christmas." His words touched the girls and soon they were down on their hands and knees helping him to weed around the trees. It took the three of them the rest of the day to complete the task. when they finished, Harry pressed a quarter into each of their hands. "I wish I could pay you more, but itís all Iíve got right now," he said. The girls had often passed that way before and as they walked on they remembered that the house was

I felt like God was leading me towards this type of sermon. I made my outline and a few other notes and went online to look for illustrations. Our points were similar, but yours were much more organized and thought out. I have never used the exact outline before, but I am using your 3 point outline. Thanks